"He's dismissive of the problem and he's dismissive of his responsibility," she told News1130.

Montani said Ottawa does have a responsibility to draft policies — from raising the child tax benefit to funding a national child care system — that may help alleviate the problem.

Moore released a statement on Monday afternoon clarifying his position.

"Caring for each other is a Canadian ethic that I strongly believe in -- always have and always will. Of course poverty is an issue that concerns me, and concerns all Canadians. All levels of government, indeed all members of our society, have a responsibility to be compassionate and care for those in need," he said.

"Great work has been done to tackle poverty and the challenges associated with poverty. And while more work is needed, I know the cause of fighting poverty is not helped by comments like those I made last week. For that, I am sorry."

Moore's initial remarks sparked a big backlash on Twitter Sunday, but the minister quickly claimed he was being unfairly taken out of context, even lied about.